Buying into a big reputation in Cobh

THE publicly-quoted building firm McInerney's have housing developments on the go all over Ireland, and beyond.

In Cork alone, the company has at least five schemes in development or at the building stage. Their latest land acquisition is at Upper Glanmire although building there is months off yet, so details won't be announced until the spring.

In part, the strong level of interest provoked by just the mention of a new development is not just about the demand for houses but also about McInerney's reputation as builders.

So says Barry Nagle of Global Properties who's handling the sales of the Cluain Ard scheme in Cobh, Co Cork.

The firm builds houses that offer more square feet per unit than other schemes and the finish is also very good, he says.

This week, Global have released 20 new units on to the sluggish pre-Christmas market and at this stage, only six remain - mainly because the price is right.

There are 2-bed apartments available here at €160,000 and they come with 560 square feet of space - nothing huge in that. However, the 3-bed duplexes retail at €185,000 and have 1,000 square feet while the townhouses extend to 1,028 sq ft and cost €195,000.

Living in Cobh, however, does mean a commute and that's the catch for city-dwellers, but as Greater Cork developments go, this area is well serviced in terms of road and rail connections to the city. And the town itself offers an alternative to the city, in every respect.

These units also come with landscaped front gardens and there's a crèche included in the development as part of planning.

For those who want to go the self-build route, Mr Nagle can offer two building sites of around an eighth of an acre each from €170,000.

The show houses for the scheme will be on view this Saturday and Sunday from 2.30 to 4.30 pm.